Fluid flow regulator



April 1948- c. JOHNSON 2,438,973

FLUID FLOW REGULATOR Original Filed May 26, 1943 CLARENCE JOHNSON sure.

, following description.

practice.

Batcntcd Apr. 6,; 1948..

Clarence Johnson, South Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Bailey Meter Company, a corporation oi Delaware Original application May 26, 1943, Serial "No. 488,600, now Patent No. 2,420,430, dated May 13, 1947. Divided and this application December 18, 1943, Serial No. 514,785

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to fluid flow regulators, and more particularly to regulators which operate to maintain a flow of gaseous fluid at a constant pressure.

It is sometimes desirable-that pressure fluid be supplied froma source where the pressure varies to a point of use at a constant pressure. In a Patent No. 2,420,430, granted to me on May 13, 1947, and of which this application is a division, there is disclosed gas analyzing apparatus which is successful only if a gas sample is supplied to it at a uniform rate. This situation is representative of many in which a flow of fluid at a constant pressure is required.

Apparatus for maintaining a flow of fluid at a constant pressure from a source of varying pressure may desirably include a chamber'to which fluid is supplied from the source and from which fluid is vented in accordance with variations in pressure. The vent-control may be obtained by providing a member which is acted upon by the chamber pressure and is positioned thereby to vary the venting in proportion to pressure changes. In order that the flow of fluid in the chamber may not cause the member to be positioned in a manner which is not representative of a pressure changes, adjustable means may be pro-.

vided for directing the flow into the chamber so as to eliminate such flow efi'ect. The fluid may be supplied directly from the chamber to the point of use, or passed in series through other chambers with which similar pressure regulating means are provided.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved fluid flow regulator. Another object is to provide improved apparatus for receiving fluid from a source at varying pressures and supplying it to a point of use at a constant pres- Yet, another object is to provide an improved regulator having a chamber connected to -a source of variable pressure and to a point of Other objects will appear in In the accompanying drawing, there is shown one form which my invention may assume in In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a phantom perspective drawing of my improved regulator.

Fig. 2 is a section of a portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. '3 is a detail of' a conduit joining the assembly of Fig. 1.

Referring in particular tojig. 1, it will be noted that there is shown a regulator 65 for regulating site sides of the bore H2.

chamber in accordance with changes in pressure.

the course of the 2 the flow of gaseous fluid from a supply conduit 2 to a discharge conduit 66. The flow regulator 65 comprises preferably a metallic block H l, in which are two longitudinal bores H2 and H3. These bores H2 and H3 are roughly coned at the bottom and each opens into a short cylindrical passage closed at the lower end by a removable screw H4. Positioned in the bores H2, H3 respectively are members I I5, H6 comprising a long stem with a conical head near the upper end. The members H5, H6 are shown as resting by gravity against the ends of thescrews I H. In this-position, and with no flow of gas under pressure entering the conduit 2, the periphery of the base of the conical section of the member H5 (or the member I I6) is adjacent the lower end of a cross-slot H1 or a cross-slot 8- respectively. These cross-slots are milled across the upper end of the assembly block lH through the center of the bores H2 and H3. They are preferablypf a different width, with the slot H! of greater width than the slot H8.

A gas sample flow may be supplied to the conduit 2 from suitable cleansing-sampling apparatus, not shown, at a pressure which may vary from say three inches of water to five pounds gage pressure. This sample flows into the bore H2 below the conical head of the member H5, and the resulting pressure built up in the bore H2 raises the member H5. In doing so, a portion of the slot H1 at either side of the bore H2 is uncovered in varying degree by upwardv positioning of the conical headof the member H5. This-allows a flow of the sample from the bore H2, be1ow the conical head, to atmosphere through the two portions of the slot Ill at oppo- A variable portion of the sample entering'the bore I I! will be wasted through slot Hl so that a constant predetermined pressure will be maintained in the bore H2 depending upon the weight of the member H5 and cross-sectional area of the conical head.

For best regulation I have found it desirable to have twosuch assemblies .in series. A passage H0 is. provided fromthe bore H12 to the bore i I3 below theconicalheads of the members H5, H6. Thereduc'ed pressure flow of the sample is eflective through the passageway ml to the interiorjof the bore H3 where it acts in turn upon the conical head of the member H6, positioning the member I I6 vertically relative to the tain a static pressure within the bore Ill, and in the outlet duct 68 at a uniform pressure, for example, 01 1.6 inches of water plus or minus .01.

This when the pressure available-in the conduit 2 varies from three inches of water to over five pounds gage pressure. I desirably accomplish this in two stages, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and as just described.

The cylindrical heads of the members H5, H6 have approximately .0015 to .0030 inch diameter clearance; or just enough to allow freedom of positioning of the members. In general, the weight design of the members individually is just enough to offset the pressure effective on the conical head of the member times the area of said head, and toresult in the uncovering of approximately one-half of the vertical elevation of the slots III or II8.

When there is no pressure flow through'the assembly 85 the members H5, 6 may rest by gravity upon the ends of the screws Ill. The screws II4 may either or each have a minute axial hole providing a continuous tiny bleed of air to discharge to the atmosphere any dirt, moisture or other foreign material which may be carried into the assembly 65 through the pipe 2.

It is essential that the pressure eflective through the conduit pass-age II9 be representative only of the static pressure within the bore II2. I have found that if the conduit 2 enters on approximately the center line of the bore II2, the mushrooming flow will react to give an erroneous upward force on the conical head of the member 5. If the conduit 2 enters the bore I I2 substantially tangentially to the periphery or wall of the bore, a vortexis created, which adversely affects the vertical positioning of the member II5. Furthermore, the centrifugal force of the sample in vortex motion is such that the flow entering the communicating passage H9 is at a pressure, the resultant of the static pressure within the bore I I2 plus an impact or velocity pressure created by the centrifugal motion. I shape the inlet conduit 2, as shown in detail in Fig. 3, i. e. a radial opening ahead of a closed end of the tube, and provide a possibility of rotating the conduit 2 prior to fastening it permanently in place. I havefound that through this construction I am enabled to insert a short section of conduit 2, as shown in Fig. 1, apply the expected pressure flow to the outer end of the conduit 2, and by slowly rotating the conduit 2 change the direction of the opening of the radial adjacent the opening of the passage II8 into the bore I I3. The usual desirable adjustment is with the screw I20 assuming a position approximately as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the side outlet opening of the part I20 is so positioned that the impact efiect of the sample enteringthe bore I I8 through the passage I I9 is eliminated and the pressure eflective in the outlet duct 86 is the static pressure of thefluid within the bore III. Having adjusted elements 2 and I20 during calibration of the unit they are then soldered permanently in place.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A flow regulator comprising, a body having a vertical chamber therein open at the top and closed at the bottom, a vertically reciprocable member in said chamber formed to flt the walltively short distance, an inlet near the lower end of said chamber, and an exit passage for continuous discharge of gas from the chamber below said member, whereby when gas under variable pressure is admitted to the chamber its pressure lifts said member thus uncovering a portion of said opening or passage extending downwardly from the top of said chamber to bleed gas from the chamber and a position of equilibrium is reached wherein a gas pressure within the chamber is attained determined by the area of the top of the member and the weight of the member.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means for minimizing pressure error on said member due to impact or velocity of the entering gas.

3; A fluid flow regulator of the type claimed in claim 1 having substantially duplicate stages of pressure control arranged in series with each stage constructed to deliver gas to the succeeding stage at a lower pressure than received.

4. A flow regulator for a'gaseous fluid comprising, a body having a cylindrical vertical chamber therein open at the top to the atmosphere and closed at the bottom, a vertically reciprocable member in said chamber formed to fit the wall of said chamber with close clearance near the top of hole 23 to obtain a position for the same wherein all impact or velocity effect of the sample entering the bore II2 through the tube 2 is eliminated. In making this test I remove the member II6, plug the bore. II3 with a. cork, and attach the duct 66 to a manometer. By slowly rotating the conduit fitting 2 I can increase or decrease the pressure eifective upon the manometer above and below a predetermined value. With the conduit 2 at the position neutral between such increase and decrease I am assured of a measurement of static pressure within the bore I I2 uninfluenced by impact or velocity of flow.

A similar condition exists in connection with the flow through the passage II9 into the bore II3. Without taking special provisions, I would encounter a vortex action and the centrifugal force effect would be added to the static pressure effect upon the fluid in the outlet duct 66. To counteract this erroneous action I provide a. screw I20 (refer to Fig. 2) threaded into the wall separating the bores II2, III'I and which is adjusted said member and chamber, the body having a slot-like opening or passage through the wall of the chamber and extending downwardly from" the chamber near the lower portion thereof, an exit passage through the wall of the body below the top of said member in its lowest position, whereby when gaseous fluid is admitted under pressure to the chamber the member is lifted thus uncovering a portion of said slot opening to bleed fluid from the chamber to the atmosphere and a position of equilibrium for the member is reached wherein a fluid pressure within the chamber (and in the exit passage) is attained determined by the area of the top of said member and the weight of the member, and means directionally controlling the entering fluid to eliminate swirl or impact effects against said member.,

5. A stage flow regulator for a gaseous fluid comprising, the first stage flow and pressure regulator claimed in claim 4, a second stage similarexit from the first and the entrance to the second.

i and means in said communicating passage adother to attain desired'step stages in pressure and flow regulation of the fluid.

6. A pressure and flow regulator for low'presa sure gaseous fluids comprising a body having a chamber with vertical side walls, said chamber being closed at the bottom and open to the atmosphere at the top, a plug and stem assembly in said chamber and vertically movable therein, means guiding the stem andsupporting the same with the plug near the top of the chamber, said plug having a close working flt with said vertical walls, a slot through the body extending into the chamber and downwardly to near the plug top when supported, an inlet passage for delivering gas to said chamber near the lower end thereof, an exit passage through the wall or said chamber below said plug in its supported position. the weight per unit of exposed area or said plug being such that the gaseous fluid entering the chamber hits the plug and causes the escape or suiflcient fluid to atmosphere through the slot to reduce the exit pressure to that predetermined by the said weight, and means to prevent undesired move- 6 ment oi. said plug resulting from a swirl or impact of said entering fluid.

7. The regulator as defined in claim 6 in which the last-mentioned means comprises an opening ior the entering fluid so directed as to provide the a desired results. i

CLARENCE JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the the or this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 4,346 Doyle Apr. 18, 1871 83,320 Richardson .Oct. 20, 1868 196,106 Anderson Oct. 16, 1877 1,080,000 Citroen Dec. 2, 1913 1,134,109 Daniels Apr. 6, 1915 1,676,999 Mobley --July 10, 1928 1,883,190 Welcker Oct, 18, 1932 2,017,824 Wade Oct. 15, 1935 2,275,608 Brisbane Mar. 10, 1942 2,308,583 Bergen 'Jan. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,680 Norway Aug. 21, 1911 278,957 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1927 

